Samsung’s bean-shaped true wireless earbuds have a lot going for them but a few major problems keep them from competing with class leaders like the Sony WF-1000XM3.
The bean-shaped Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are a serious departure from the norm in every single category. Their design is like nothing we’ve ever seen before; they’re the first true wireless earbuds from Samsung to include noise cancellation and they’re tuned to offer a heaping helping of bass. Samsung is no stranger to this category, with previous earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Plus, but the kidney bean shape of these buds is very different to what we’ve seen from rival brands, with most other wireless earbuds on the market basically plugging into your ear canals. It’s natural, of course, to be leery of change. But the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are the real deal. They can compete with the likes of the Apple AirPods and Google Pixel Buds, offering many of the same features plus a few new ones exclusive to Samsung device owners. (Surprise, it’s Bixby!) The bad news is that they’re not the top dog in terms of Android-based true wireless earbuds – that honor still belongs to the Sony WF-1000XM3. The Buds Live sound fine, but aren’t anything to write home about, and the noise cancellation is a similar story. Tack on some problems with sound leakage and low IP rating, and you’ve got a competent successor to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus but not the best true wireless earbuds on the market. Since the release of the Galaxy Buds Live, Samsung has launched the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, which perform far better in these areas. The Samsung Galaxy Buds are available to order from Samsung – as well as most third-party retailers – now for $169.99 / £179 / AU£319. That’s significantly less expensive than the AirPods Pro, which come in at $249 / £249 / AU$399, meaning the Galaxy Buds Live could be a compelling cheaper alternative to Apple’s noise-cancelling earbuds. What’s kind of confusing about the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is how close they sit to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus that were released earlier in 2020. The Buds Plus are $149.99 / £159 / AU$299, which is only about $20 less than the Buds Live. The difference there is that the Buds Live have active noise cancellation while the Buds Plus use ambient noise reduction, and the Buds Plus have a longer built-in battery life but an overall lower one when you factor in the charging case. Long story short, you should probably buy the Galaxy Buds Live over the Plus unless you plan on wearing your earbuds for 11 hours straight. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live come in three colors – black, white and bronze – and come with a matching charging case that’ll slip into your pocket. There’s a USB Type-C port on the back of the case for charging, or alternatively, you can also charge it wirelessly. An LED is present both inside and outside the case to let you know about the charging status of the case, as well as of the earbuds.
